Bug ID? (looks predatory to me...)

[emrldthumb]

I assume this guy is a friendly, perhaps was attracted to the gnats I occasionally see, but I'm not positive. Anyone know what this is? I'm growing in soil, so there's a good chance it emerged from the soil. I hate to kill something if it's eating gnats, but I would also hate if it turns out that it (or its larvae) wants an herb salad.

View attachment DSC02594.JPG

 

[Rosebud]

How interesting, I think it is a beneficial too, but can't identify it. I think if it wasn't eating what ever is on your plants you would see big bite marks out of the leaves.

You need to figure out what kind of bugs that nice big guy is eating and get some treatment.

 

[emrldthumb]

Only other bugs I've seen are gnats, and never more than one at a time, usually don't see any. Doesn't seem like there's an infestation, though I guess it's hard to know what's going on under the soil. I've had gnat problems in the past and they were all over the place, much worse than this, before I noticed any symptoms in the plants.

 

[Rosebud]

Have you looked on the underside of the leaves to check for frass (bug poop)? LIttle tiny black spots?
Do you have an eye loupe that you can really see if there are eggs or anything else on the leaves. Have you ever had root aphids? or fungus gnats?
Do you feel like your getting the 3rd degree? LOL sorry.

 

[emrldthumb]

I'll take a look at the leaf undersides with my loupe tomorrow, already closed up the room for the night. Never had root aphids that I knew of at least. Not sure what kind of gnats I had that one time... How many kinds of gnats are there?

 

[Joe420Camel]

looks like a deerfly to me

https://images.search.yahoo.com/sea...Nl8x?_adv_prop=image&fr=yfp-t-312&va=deer+fly

 

[000StankDank000]

I'm going with Fly of some sort

 

[emrldthumb]

I'd say definitely not a deer fly, I know what those look like and this guy was smaller with slender wings. I agree it looks like a fly, just maybe one that's mimicking a wasp?

 

[Hushpuppy]

I have seen those around here in my flower beds. I believe they are beneficial predators but I cant remember. Try Google Image and look up "beneficial predators"

 

[lyfespan]

Fruit fly